Colombo: The Indian judokas shopped nine out of 10 gold medals to take the country's golden haul to 118 - the highest ever in the games' 22-year-old history - on the penultimate day of the South Asian Games on Sunday.
India's grand tally at close of the 10th day of the 10th edition read 232 medals, including 68 silver and 46 bronze.
This total - made possible mainly by 32 gold in swimming, 19 in shooting and 15 in athletics - is much better than its 192-medal haul (103 gold, 57 silver and 32 bronze) at the previous games in Islamabad in 2004.
Pakistan was placed second but way behind its neighbouring nation with 41 gold, 43 silver and 71 bronze for a total of 155.
Sri Lanka, hosting the regional games for the second time, were third with 36 gold, 63 silver and 77 bronze for a grand tally of 176.
With a day to go - and only three gold medals in karatedo to be decided - the Maldives remained the only country of the eight not to have won a single medal.
Bhutan, the other tiny nation, was the other country not to have won any gold, though it secured three silver and 10 bronze.
The Indian judokas swept all five gold medals decided Sunday, adding to four won earlier.
In all, they won nine gold medals and one silver, while Pakistan managed to win the only other gold, besides five silver and an equal number of bronze.
Navjot Chana (60kg), Parvinder Singh (66kg) and Virender Singh (73kg) won the honours in the men's section, while Laishram Bemben Devi (48kg) and Chanu A Anita (52kg) claimed the top spot in the women's section.
India's men and women runners also finished atop the podium to increase the golden tally.
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The women beat a resilient Sri Lanka 27-25, 25-20 and 25-20 in the volleyball final at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. Pakistan won the bronze by beat Bangladesh 25-11, 25-15, 25-17.
In the men's category, defending champions India retained the title defeating Sri Lanka 25-15, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19. Pakistan defeated Bangladesh to win the bronze.
In marathon, however, India's L Binning managed only a bronze with a timing of two hours 29.16 seconds, behind gold-medal winner Sri Lanka's A M Ajith Bandara who clocked two hours 2:25.40 sec and Nepal's Arjun Kumar Basnet, who finished in two hours 28.10 seconds.
K C Ramu, India's other entrant, failed to finish the race.
Late Saturday night, India's S R Gharu picked a karate gold in the 53kg women's category. Nepal's Amirka Shakya clinched the silver while Sri Lanka's P A C Senavirathnu was third.
In the football final, also played late Saturday night, Pakistan had defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 to win the gold medal. India had finished fourth.
A total of 425 gold, 425 silver and 545 bronze medals were at stake in the second South Asian Games Colombo is hosting. The first time the Sri Lankan capital hosted them was in 1991.
India fielded 417 athletes and officials in 18 sports - two more than in Islamabad where India had sent a 320-member contingent.
A total of 20 sports were played then, but India did not take part in weightlifting and wrestling.
Besides India and hosts Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan took part in the games.
The games faced a security threat after a bomb blast killed seven people Aug 14 - four days before the games were lunched by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse amid fanfare and fireworks.
Although the South African cricket team, which was also here for the Unitech Triangular Series involving India and Sri Lanka, withdrew from the tournament, the games went on undisturbed.
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